People are raving about Disney's newest animated film Zootopia, featuring Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde, praising its wonderful plot line, appealing animation style, and diverse character cast. However, not only are people focusing on the movie itself, but what it serves as a metaphor for: Prejudice.

From the discrimination of being a "sleazy" fox to being forced into lesser jobs simply because you're a bunny, Zootopia is chock full of metaphors alluding to prejudice within a society. A few that come to mind are Judy's parents offering her various forms of fox protection, Judy labeling Nick as "shifty" when she first spots him, and the elephant vendor refusing to serve Nick due to him being a fox. These are just a few of the main metaphors that could be found within the movie, and there are tons more. But you get the point. "Animals" are treated differently due to their "species", are then forced into social stereotypes, and face different types of discrimination and/or privilege based on whether or not they're "predator" or "prey". Sound familiar?

So Zootopia has already served as a great metaphor for prejudice based on stereotypes. That much is evident. The questions is, what's next?

Audiences are already calling for a sequel, and with the first movie's current ratings, I'd say it's not too much of a stretch to hope for another one. Of course, if a sequel were to be produced, Disney would most likely continue with their "political statement" theme that seems to be working well for them. They've already covered racial (or in this case, species) prejudice. The next logical topic to cover? Prejudice among non traditional couples.

Of course, this is definitely not a sure promise of a sequel or a focus on "inter-species relationships". But it's enough evidence to warrant speculation and theories.

Audiences have been throwing out idea after idea as to what the sequel's plot line could focus on, but the most prevalent one features the story of Nick and Judy going through the trials and tribulations of being an "inter-species" couple.

This could serve as another excellent metaphor for prejudice and be one of the first for non traditional (interracial, lgbtq+, etc.) couples. Personally, I'd love to see Nick and Judy together, and I honestly don't believe it's too far fetched of an idea. There were so many scenes within the movie that seemed to imply that there was more between the two than just friendship. Audience majorities seem to agree with this line of thought. (The scene below is just one example of the 'evidence' fans have been using to prove the relationship between the two.)

So in the end, Disney has a lot to live up to if they produce a sequel. If they were indeed to go down the popular inter species route, I'm certain it'd be met with positive and open arms.

For now, however, this fan is prepared to wait it out for more news on the possible future of Zootopia 2.

What do you think? Comment below on what you believe may be in store for Zootopia. Keep it civil! Thank you.